Research

The Effect of Dimpling on the Force of Drag on a Boat

The purpose of this experiment was to determine if dimpling has an effect on the force of drag on a boat in flowing water. The results of this experiment can be used to create boats and ships that require less force to be propelled through the water, and in turn are much more efficient. In this experiment, two 3D printed boat hulls - one smooth and one dimpled - were secured to a force sensor and placed in flowing water. The force sensor then measured the force of the flowing water on the boat. The results of the two-sample t test performed on the data clearly signified that there was a much greater force acting on the dimpled boat than the smooth boat, therefore rejecting the hypothesis that dimpling on the bottom of a boat would reduce the force of drag acting on said boat.